Rick Majerus has turned down an offer to coach at
Arizona State University (ASU) "largely because of a
difference in shoe-contract size -- the gap between Majerus'
Reebok deal at Utah and what he would have earned at ASU,
which is about to sign with Nike," according to Bob Cohn of
the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Cohn reports that Majerus is Reebok's
"main attraction among college coaches," and his Reebok
deal, "which includes stock options, is worth at least
$500,000 and possibly $700,000." Former ASU coach Bill
Frieder earned $125,000 from Nike. Cohn adds that ASU's
impending deal with Nike "means the university will earn
$700,000 a year, eventually increasing to" $1M, "in exchange
for almost every team being outfitted exclusively" by Nike
(ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/17). Also in Arizona, Jack Magruder
reports that Nike "failed to generate a compensation package
that Reebok would not match" for Majerus and, "ironically,"
Nike CEO Phil Knight "tried to lure Majerus into his camp
just three weeks ago" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 9/16).